LEWISTON — Something for everyone is a proven recipe for success with The Public Theatre, and the upcoming season presents another tantalizing menu.

There is a classic tale of psychological horror for the opening in October.

There is some new and some traditional holiday fare in December.

There is a mix of heartwarming comedy in January, followed by a new play in March that takes a compelling look at the fine line between flirtation and betrayal.

Then in May comes “Southern Comforts” for the season’s dessert. It’s an Off-Broadway comedy about the match between a Yankee widower and a spunky Southern grandmother.

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is the Halloween appetizer scheduled for Oct. 16-25. It’s a new adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher based on the novella by Robert Lewis Stevenson, and it has an interesting casting twist. One actor plays Dr. Jekyll and four other actors reveal the faces of evil that lurk within the hearts of men.

Christopher Schario, artistic director of The Public Theatre, said there will be “a cool-looking set” for this fiendishly clever thriller.

In a secret room in London, Dr. Jekyll experiments with exotic powders that bring forth Edward Hyde, his other self who is a villain free to commit the sins that Dr. Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend.

Ida LeClair now has her own Christmas show, and The Public Theater stages “A Very Ida Christmas” for one weekend only, Dec. 4-6.

Ida, the quirky character created and played by Susan Poulin, has enough holiday spirit to light up all the Christmas trees in the tiny mythical Maine town of Mahoosic Falls. This production features an update on Ida’s craft projects with her pals, some do’s and don’ts of holiday decorating and Ida’s not-so-secret Santa plan.

Schario said Ida fans will not be disappointed with this new visit with the original woman who runs with moose.

The annual presentation of The Public Theatre’s adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” is slated for Dec. 11-13. Featuring six actors and a fiddler, the timeless language of Charles Dickens and his characters come to life in an imaginative way. Created by The Public Theatre, and now published and performed by theaters around the world, this adaptation has been a Lewiston-Auburn tradition for about 15 years.

Schario said Maddy Leslie, a student at Trinity Catholic School in Lewiston, will debut as Tiny Tim, and local actor Matt Delamater will play Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, and one of the Christmas spirits. The show is presented with family-friendly performance times. Tickets for children 12 and under are $10.

“Visiting Mr. Green” is a humorous, poignant and thoughtful play scheduled for Jan. 29-Feb. 7. It was an award-winning 1996 Off-Broadway production.

When an elderly Jewish dry cleaner walks into the path of an oncoming yuppie’s car, a judge with a sense of humor requires the young man to pay a series of weekly visits to his victim. What starts out as an “Odd Couple” kind of comedy about two worlds colliding becomes a surprising and powerful story about the dangers of intolerance and isolation.

“Magnetic North” is a provocative new play by Boston author William Donnelly that has had relatively few productions. Told with startling honesty, intelligence and humor, “Magnetic North” explores the faith in faithfulness and the fine line between flirtation and betrayal when a husband stumbles upon the e-mail address of a former girlfriend and is pulled toward the past.

“Right when you think you know where it is going, it goes somewhere else, and it has a beautiful payoff,” Schario said. “Magnetic North” is scheduled for March 19-28.

The 2009-2010 season at The Public Theatre ends with the comedy “Southern Comforts,” May 7-16. This Off-Broadway comedy follows the awkward and endearing romance between a taciturn Yankee widower and a spunky Southern grandmother and the reality of falling in love after 50. Set in their own ways, with separate families, habits, political opinions and households of furniture, these stubborn old dogs learn a few new tricks about the importance of compromise and the rewards of change.

New features at The Public Theatre made possible by the ongoing capital campaign include a move of the business offices from Great Falls Plaza in Auburn to the theater’s second floor. In addition, eight windows on the front that had been bricked up for years have now been opened. Schario said a recent grant will help bring a wireless system for the hearing impaired to the theater. He said donors for an additional $5,000 are being sought.

The Public Theatre is at Lisbon and Maple streets in the downtown. For more information, visit thepublictheatre.org or call 782-3200.